As summer approaches electricity blackouts are becoming more and more common. Typically 3-5 times a day for up to an hour each time. The girls are pros, as soon as the lights go out they run for our stash of headlamps. If its really dark everyone freezes until the person nearest a cell phone or flashlight can "rescue" everyone else. Unfortunately we live on the 7th floor and no electricity means no elevator and our stairwell receives very little natural light hence the need for a readily available flashlight.
There is nothing quite as fun as coming home late from somewhere with hot, tired & grumpy kids (& parents) only to discover we need to climb seven flights of stairs with only the faint glow of a cellphone.
It's amazing how much we've come to rely on electricity. No electricity means no lights, fans or air conditioners in 40C temperature. No Internet. No rice cooker (we DO like our rice cooker :) ). No electronic ignition for our stove. No oven. No checkout to the supermarket (they shut down until the power is back on, we try not to think of the refrigeration issue). No gas pumps at the gas station (and LONG line-ups when the power is back on).
We invested in a fantastic emergency light that kicks on when the power goes out. It also makes studying possible. Now if we could find a battery operated fan!
As annoying as it is to go a few hours without our fans or light fixtures, these momentary interruptions remind us of an even greater dependence ... upon an eternal source of light.
When the lights are on and the fans are humming it is all too easy to take such privileges for granted, forgetting that most of the world must suffer with expensive, unreliable and inaccessible electricity. How much more do we take for granted that inexhaustible, always accessible, never ending source of eternal light that we've been given?
Certainly we've been reminded and we hope you have too.
It's amazing how much we've come to rely on electricity. No electricity means no lights, fans or air conditioners in 40C temperature. No Internet. No rice cooker (we DO like our rice cooker :) ). No electronic ignition for our stove. No oven. No checkout to the supermarket (they shut down until the power is back on, we try not to think of the refrigeration issue). No gas pumps at the gas station (and LONG line-ups when the power is back on).
We invested in a fantastic emergency light that kicks on when the power goes out. It also makes studying possible. Now if we could find a battery operated fan!
When the lights are on and the fans are humming it is all too easy to take such privileges for granted, forgetting that most of the world must suffer with expensive, unreliable and inaccessible electricity. How much more do we take for granted that inexhaustible, always accessible, never ending source of eternal light that we've been given?
Certainly we've been reminded and we hope you have too.
No comments:
Post a Comment